Sash locking and balancing mechanism



A. C. WHEELOCK.

SSH LOCKING AND BALANCING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED N0v,29.192o.

3,422,399; Patented Ju1v11,1922.

WITNESS /UQIM/ENTOR 4? C WHEEL @cfr .y I {Iig/1.4,

l //l; A TTORNE Y ARTHUR c. wHEELocmor OAKLAND, CALIFORIA, AssrGNoR 'ro-1Aiviiiarmilv'A-U'ro- Marre LOCK AND LIFT COMPANY; or smvA1 FRANCISCO; CALI'T'ORNIA, A consona- TION OF CALIFORNIA.

BASE LOCKING' .AND BALNCING' MECHFANSM.

graaaaeei To all/whom imag concern.'

. Be itlrnown that I, ARTHUR VVHEELOCK, a-citi'zen-ofthe United States, and aresident ofgOaklancLcounty ofY Alameda, and' State of California, have invented a certain new and useful Sash Locking and` Balancing Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

Y My invention relates to means-for locking aslidable sash in its various positions int-he window frame and relates more particularly to the incorporation of saidl means infconnection with mechanism for balancing the sash.

Anobject. of-'the invention is to provide lock-ing means for a sl-idable sash whereby thev latter may be locked in any position it may assume.

Another objectof the invention is to providejloclring means of the above described type in connection with spring actuated` bal# ancing means.

A further object of theinvention is to provide means whereby the cooperating members of the locking and balancing mechanism arranged on'V the window frame and sash maybe maintained in the proper relation notwithstanding the usual contraction and'vdistortioniof the frame and sash occasioned by the setting and ageing of the structure.

The inventionl possesses other objects and features ofadvantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set` forth in the `following description of the preferred form. of my invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. Itis to be understood that I do not limit myself to the showing made'by the said drawings and description, as I may adopt variations of the preferred form within the scope of my invention as set forth in the claims;

Referring to said drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation ofthe mechanism of my invention with the cover plate removed, parts of the adjacent structure being broken away and shown in section to show the construction more clearly.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the Speeification' of Letters Patent.

lPatented'lJuily 11, 1922.

Application filed November 29, 1920. SerialI Nol 426,899.

mechanism, the plane of section being indicated by the line 2-2 offlifigure2.`

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side View of a slightly lmodified form of the device.

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken-on the line of Figure 3.

Briefly expressed my invention as here em bodied comprises a gear or ratchet wheel engaging a rack on the sash and connected to the sash balancing means. Locking means areprovided'in the form of-y a plurality of turnblers` which are adapted to simultaneously engage the ratchet wheel and are so ar'- ranged that during said engagement atleast one ofthe tumblers will invariably be seated in a space between the ratch'et'teeth, thereby locking the Wheel and consequently the sash. Means are provided for holding said tuniblers disengaged from the ratchet so that the balancing mechanism may function and the sash may be moved.` Means are also in eluded for adjustingfthe position ofthe gear or ratchet so that its engagement with the rack may remain unimpaired in case the distance between the side of the sash and the frame is subsequently altered.

A detailed/description of the present form of my invention follows:

The mechanism-,comprises a side plate 2 conveniently attachedby screws 3 tothe window frame 4f. Extendingthrough a slot 6 in the plate-2i`is a gear or ratchet wheel 7 which is adaptedto mesh with a rackS ex tending longitudinally of and fixed to the sash 9 slidably mounted inthe frame 4. The ratchet wheel 7 is rotatably mounted in a casing 11 which is connected to the plate 2 byV means of the pivot stud 12 whose axis is parallel to that of the shaft 13 upon which the ratchet wheel 7 is mounted. The' casing is provided with a removable cover 14 and is further connectedto the plate 2 bya screw 15 whose head 16' engages loosely in a countersunk apertu'rel7 while the shank engages the tapped aperture 18 provided in an ear 19 preferably formedintegral with the casing. The h'ead 16 of the screw is heldvagainstthe plate'by a'comp'aratively heavy coil spring 21, thereby normally'maintaining the casing and consequently the ratchetl wheel 7 'in rigid position. From the foregoing it will be readily understood that rotation of the screw 15 Will cause the ratchet Wheel to Vmove toward or from the rack 8 of the sash. In this manner should the distance between the adjacent sides of the frame and sash become altered for one reason or another whereby the engagement of the ratchet Wheel and rack is impaired, it is merely necessary to manipulate the readily accessible screw l5 to enable the Wheel to resume the desired engagement.

Preferably fixed at itsopposite ends 22 and 23 to the casing and shaft 13 respectively is a spring 24 which is arranged to counterbalance the Weight of the sash so that the movement of. the latter may be readily controlled in either direction. In the present form of the invention the spring 24 is adapted to be placed in such tension during the movement of the sash in one direction that the sash when released Will move back in the opposite direction.

Partly in accordance with the foregoing means are provided for locking the Wheel 7 and consequently the sash, in any position in which they may have happened to stop. Heretofore as far as I am aWare,`When the pawl and yratchet principle was used for locking the sash, a position Was very fre quently assumed by the sash in which none of the pawls were engaged in any of the slots o r spaces rofthe ratchet but rested directly upon a tooth thereof-in Which position the sash was obviously unlocked. Therefore such a situation necessitated a further movement of the sash in one direction or another in. order that the pawl could seat in a space. However it frequently happened that the above situation occurred when the sash assumed one of its extreme end positions, thus making it impossible to lock the sash therein. In accordance with my invention the foregoing is eliminated since a pawl or tumbler is arranged to invariably engage one of the ratchet spaces. Preferably slidably mounted in depressions 2G and 27 in the extension 28 of the casingV are tumblers 30 and 3l respectively, which as here shown are corradially disposed with respect vto the ratchet wheel and spaced circumferentially at the pitch circle thereof a distance equal to approximately one and one-half times the pitch. Encircling the rear end of ythe tumblers are coiled springs 32 and 33 .Which are adapted to normally hold the tumblers in engagement with the toothed face of the ratchet Wheel. The engaging ends 34 of the tumblers are more or less pointed and sincethey are arranged in the staggered relation above explained, it can be readily seen vthat at least one of the tumblers will partially engage one of the spaces 36 in any position` of the Wheel, thereby enabling the sash to be locked against movement in either direction in any position that it may assume.

Means are provided for holding the tumblers disengaged from 'the ratchet Vwheel when it is desired to move the sash. Arranged Within the casing extension 28 is a lever 37 which is adapted toengage projections 38 and 39 formed on the tumblers. A slidable rod 41 mounted in the frame and extending into the casing through an aperture 42 is arranged to engage the free end of the lever. By merely pressing the button 43 of the rod as Will be clear from Figure 2 the lever Will bev moved to Withdraw the tumblers from the ratchet against the actionof the springs 32 and 33.

In Figures 3 and 4 I have shovvn a slightly modified form of the tumblers as Well as the means for retaining them against the ratchet and removing the-m therefrom. In this embodiment the tumblers are formed with legs 44 Which are engaged by fiat springs 32' and 33 and lever 37 ina manner substantially corresponding that of the somewhat equivalent members 32, 33 and 37 described in; connection With the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

I claim: f

l. In a device of the class described, a ratchet, and a plurality of tumblers adapted to simultaneously engage said ratchet and arranged whereby at least one tumbler when all are in said engagement may lie in one of the ratchet spaces in any of the positions of the ratchet with respect to the tumblers.

2. In a device of the character described in combination with springactuated balancing means, a ratchet, a plurality of tumblers adapted to engage said ratchet simultaneously vand arranged when so disposed Whereby one tum `ler will lie in staggered relation with respect to the ratchet spaces When another tumbler is vseated therein, each of said tumblers when engaged in one ofsaid spaces being capableof preventing :the movement of the ratchet With respect to the tumblers in opposite directions, and means for holding all ofv said tumblers disengaged from said ratchet.

3. In a device of the class'described in combination with spring actuated balancing means, a ratchet Wheel, a plurality of tumblers adapted to engage said ratchet, resilient means tending to retain each of said tumblers in engagement with `said ratchet, a lever arranged to'eject .each of said tumblers radially With respectk to and from engagement with said ratchet Wheel, i

and a reciprocatively mounted rod adapted to press against said lever for eii'ecting said disengagement.

4. In a device of the character described in combination with spring actuatedbalancing means, a ratchet Wheel` a plurality relation with respect to the ratchet spaces when another tumbler is seated therein', a lever arranged to eject said tumblers from engagement with ratchet, and means for moving said lever.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Oakland, California, this 2nd day of November 1920.

ARTHUR C. WHEELOCK.

In presence of- L. L. M. SALSBURY. 

